There is something extremely nervy about chases – no matter how big or how small. Something can always give, something can always go wrong before the last run has been ticked off. That is what makes chases fascinating. That is what makes heroes out of mortals as some players show repeatedly how their best emanates from the toughest conditions.
Chases in Test cricket are tougher because they come in the fourth innings on a pitch that has seen a lot of wear and tear and quite a few days of sun and usage. Add to that the fact that the players are mentally exhausted, especially in Tests that go into the fifth day. It is the kind of situation that separates the boys from men.
That is why only 112 Tests have been won while chasing a 200 plus target in the fourth innings. Only four targets of 400 plus have been achieved in all of Test cricket. Overall only 28 Tests have been won chasing a 300 plus target in the fourth innings.
That goes to show the enormous odds against the side chasing a target in the fourth innings. Here we take a look at the top 5 chases in Test cricket. India has 2 while Australia, West Indies and South Africa have 1 each.
West Indies – 418 for 7 against Australia
It is one of the greatest upsets in Test cricket, breaking a world record that had stood for 27 years. Australia had already won three tests in a four-match Test series, leaving West Indies playing for nothing more than pride at St. John’s in May 2003.
It was also one of those rare Test matches where both teams scored more runs in their second innings than in their first. Incredibly, Australia scored 240 in their first and West Indies scored the exact same in their first. That pretty much resulted in a fourth innings shoot-out.
Buoyed by centuries from Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer in a 242 run opening partnership, Australia posted 417 in their second innings. Such was the speed of the match that West Indies were already batting in their second innings at the end of Day 3, which meant a result was inevitable.
West Indies were 74 for 3 before a 91 run partnership between Brian Lara, who scored his second half-century of the match and the hero of the match Ramnaresh Sarwan, gave the chase some spine. Sarwan added another 123 with one of the most resolute batsmen in West Indies cricket, Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
Chanderpaul took West Indies to within 50 runs of the target before falling on 104, one less than Sarwan’s 105. However, Omari Banks and Vasbert Drakes played the innings of their lifetimes, adding 46 to take West Indies to 418 for 7, for the greatest fourth innings chase ever.
Chanderpaul was the Man of the Match for a great innings against probably one of the greatest bowling attacks of all time.
South Africa – 414 for 4 against Australia
South Africa did the unthinkable under Graeme Smith in 2008 when they defeated Australia in Australia, something no team had been able to do to the Invincibles in a long while. It started with a massive second innings chase at WACA, Perth.
Batting first, Australia posted 375 and acquired a decent first innings lead by getting South Africa all out for just 281. South Africa had a clear advantage when Australia descended to 162 for 7 but a Brad Haddin 94 pushed them to 319 leaving South Africa 414 to chase down in the fourth innings.
Smith led from the front scoring a century, well supported by half-centuries from Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis. AB de Villiers saw them through in the end with an unbeaten century adding an unbeaten 111 for the fifth wicket with JP Duminy. South Africa won the match by 6 wickets and looked solid enough to chase down even 500 that day.
India – 406 for 4 against West Indies
Indian batting announced itself to the world with a massive fourth innings chase against one of the most feared teams of all time, in their own backyard. In 1976, playing at Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain, India was down 0-1 in a four-match series, heading into the third Test.
Buoyed by a Vivian Richards’ century, West Indies posted 359 and got India all out for 228. They then scored 271 for six before declaring the innings, setting India a target of 403. The visitors did it in style in 147 overs as Sunil Gavaskar scored a century and Mohinder Amarnath and Gundappa Viswanath added 159 for the third wicket.
Viswanath top-scored with 112 as India romped home, winning by 6 wickets. In the process, they broke a 28-year record to create another one that stood for 27 years before West Indies claimed it. India eventually did lose the series 1-2 but this win against Lloyd’s men was a brilliant coming-of-age story.
Australia – 404 for 3 against England
In the Ashes of 1948, Don Bradman’s men were in rip-roaring form, winning the first two Tests comprehensively. The third was drawn and England gave a great account of themselves in the fourth one at Leeds. After scoring 496, England gained a 38 run lead, largely cut down because of a late Australian resurgence with their last two wickets adding 103 to push them to 458.
England declared on 365 setting Australia a target of 404, something never chased down before. Bradman showed his mettle with an unbeaten 173 adding 301 for the second wicket with Arthur Morris and seeing Australia through.
Australia chased down 404 in just 114 overs, a breathtaking speed in those days, winning the match by 7 wickets. England understandably lost the final Test by an innings; such was the effect of this great chase.
India – 387 for 4 against England
England has always found it hard playing in India. But, in 2008, they thought they had a genuine chance to win at Chepauk Stadium, Chennai. An Andrew Strauss century helped them post 316 and they managed a good lead, getting India all out for 241.
Strauss scored another century in the second innings as England declared on 311 on the back of a 214 run partnership for the fourth wicket between Strauss and Paul Collingwood, who scored a century too. India were set a target of 387, an extremely tough score in the subcontinent to chase down.
However, Virender Sehwag set it up beautifully, scoring a scintillating 83 in just 68 balls, adding 117 with Gautam Gambhir for the opening wicket. Sachin Tendulkar then scored an unbeaten 103 to guide India home, adding an unbeaten 163 for the fourth wicket with Yuvraj Singh, who remained unbeaten on 85.
Sehwag surprisingly was given the Man of the Match, highlighting the importance of his innings that deflated the English batsman and made sure India had a good chance going into Day 5 having already knocked out a substantial amount from the score.
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